Centre forms panel to deal with NRI wife-deserters

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has constituted a nodal agency to deal with the complaints of women deserted by NRI spouses, said acting president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)Harmeet Singh Kalka.

This was disclosed by the MEA in a written communication to the DSGMC that had appealed to the government in March for formation of a committee or special investigation team for the deportation of NRI husbands who abandoned their wives, he said. The DSGMC had also appealed to the government for the issuance of lookout circulars and revoking of passports of such husbands, Kalka said.

In a letter to DSGMC president Manjit Singh (GK), the MEA informed, “An expert committee was set up to examine the NRI marital issues and legal challenges. As recommended by the expert committee, an integrated nodal agency has been constituted to provide a single-window timely solution to the problems of aggrieved women deserted by NRI spouses.”

The letter said, “The nodal agency is headed by the Ministry of Woman and Child Development and is authorised to issue the look out circular (LOC), which enabled the ministry to impound or revoke the passport of NRI husbands.”

It also said, “The nodal agency may consider issuing the LOC after thorough examination and a copy of the circular be sent to the division which would enable us to initiate the process of impounding of the passport.”

The petitioner might also directly approach the nodal agency with all details of the case and relevant documents.

Acting president of the DSGMC Harmeet Singh Kalka and legal adviser Jasvinder Singh Jolly said 32 passports had been cancelled and 72 were in line. He said in Punjab 32,000 aggrieved women had got FIRs registered in different districts.

Seema, a victim, said three years back her husband left for Kuwait with an assurance to take her there after completing all legal procedures. “So far, he has not returned even as I have called him several times,” she said. “I do not have money to pay school fee of my son. I work as a maid to feed my son,” she said.

Satvinder Kaur, who belongs to Ludhiana, said she was married in 2009. In 2010, her husband left for Ukrain leaving her alone. She had approached the police but nothing had happened.